Civil War Preservation Trust and The History Channel Announce National Photo Competition

(Washington, D.C.) - The Civil War was the first major conflict in history to be extensively documented by photograph. Using equipment considered primitive today, Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner, and other wartime photographers recorded dramatic battlefield images that still haunt us today.

More than a century later, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) and The History Channel are teaming up to encourage amateur shutterbugs to follow in the footsteps of Brady and Gardner. Together, the two organizations are sponsoring a national Civil War photography competition to promote appreciation of America's rich Civil War heritage.

Joining CWPT and The History Channel in sponsoring one particular aspect of the contest is the Center for Civil War Photography. The Center, a nonprofit group dedicated to educating the public about Civil War photography and its role in the conflict, is sponsoring the competition's "Then and Now" category.

Amateur photographers are invited to submit Civil War-related photos in six different categories: (1) Endangered Battlefields, featuring a battlefield under threat of destruction; (2) Scenic, showing the natural beauty of Civil War sites; (3) Historic, capturing the solemn effect of a historic structure or monument; (4) Close-up, examining a detail of a monument or landscape; (5) Then and Now, comparing early images of Civil War battlefields and historic sites with modern images; and (6) Junior Photographer, a special category for photographers under the age of 18.

The grand prize winner will be selected from among the first place winners in the 6 categories. The grand prize winner will receive a free registration (a $515 value) to CWPT's annual conference. The History Channel will award $250 to the remaining first place winners in each category. The winner of the "Then and Now" category will receive a free registration to Center for Civil War Photography's annual Image of War seminar (date and location to be announced).

In addition, second and third place winners are eligible for The History Channel gift certificates.

Participants must be amateur photographers. The entry fee is $20 and includes a half-year membership to CWPT. There is no entry fee for current CWPT members. The deadline for entries is November 30, 2005. For contest rules, visit CWPT online at http://www.civilwar.org/photocontestrules.htm.

CWPT is a 70,000-member nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving our nation's endangered Civil War battlefields and promoting appreciation of these hallowed grounds.